


glitterdust

by fanfoolishness (LoonyLupin), LoonyLupin



Series: Chapter and Verse (Varric Tethras x Min Hawke) [3]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Adventure, Dragon Age II - Act 1, F/M, Gen, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 18:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16749076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/fanfoolishness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/LoonyLupin
Summary: Hawke and company discover glitterdust has its dangers.





	glitterdust

Min Hawke grinned, balancing adroitly on the tips of her toes as she squatted beside a glimmering rock.  She reached out a hand to the strange ore, barely illuminated by Isabela’s torch.  “Look at this, then!  Do you think it might be one of those rock deposits the alchemist was asking for?  What did he say he wanted?  Orichalcum and – oh, that’s odd, it’s all powdery –” **  
**

“Shit!  Glitterdust,” Varric hissed.  “Hawke, don’t touch it!”

“Too late,” said Hawke grimly, pulling her hand back.  “Why?  What’s wrong?”

Varric stared at the ore, biting the inside of his cheek and letting out a long breath when nothing happened.  “Whew. Well, at least you didn’t catch the shit on fire.  I’ve heard what happens when a spark strikes a glitterdust vein, and you don’t want me to tell you about the aftermath.”

“Maker’s breath,” said Bethany, looking over Varric’s shoulder, her face paling.  “Dad mentioned it a few times.  It’s dreadfully flammable.  We might have all died.”

“You might have warned me,” said Hawke indignantly.

“I didn’t know,” Varric pointed out.  “If I’d known you were looking for glitterdust, I could have told you my family owns a small mine around here.  The place is loaded with this stuff.  Blows up half the mine sometimes, makes it damn hard to keep it in business.  Not one of our better ventures.  I blame Bartrand for that one.”

Hawke stared at the glitterdust powder sparkling on her fingertips.  “So what am I to do about this, then?  How do we harvest it, and how do I keep myself from blowing up?”

“It does look quite nice,” Isabela offered.  “Didn’t Marcher women used to paint their faces with it?  It must have been quite a sight.”

“It fell out of favor when their skin broke out in boils,” said Varric.  “Not exactly the look they were hoping for.”  He fished in his pocket for a skein of silk wire, one of his favorites for setting traps.  “Carve it like an aged cheese with this.  The silk will keep it from sparking, or so I’ve heard.”

Hawke gingerly took the silk-insulated wire and removed a few large pieces of ore with care, then packed them into a leather pouch.  “All right then, no explosions.  I consider that well done.”  She straightened up and turned to leave.

She brushed her hand on her trousers and yelped as her fingertips sparked, striking against the metal in her belt buckle.  “Andraste’s knickers!”  The spark vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but it left her fingertips sore and buzzing.  

Varric reached out swiftly, cradling her hand in his own, leaving her hand palm up so that he could examine it.  “You all right?” he asked, squinting down at her fingertips.  Isabela moved the torch closer for better light.  

“Just a surface burn, I think,” said Hawke.  Varric studied her hand for a few more seconds, then nodded.  “Thanks.”  He had more calluses on his broad fingers than she would have expected for a merchant prince.  Despite that, his hands were gentle, releasing her smoothly.

“You’ve got to be more careful, sister,” said Bethany, shaking her head.  

“You’re telling me.”

Varric chuckled, holding out a hand for the leather pouch.  “Come on, I can carry that for you.”  She handed it off to him with a wince.

“My nerves can’t handle this.  Arrows and blades are one thing, but explosions?  That’s a bit much, even for me,” said Hawke stoutly.  She blew on her burned fingertips, grimacing, as they began to make their way back through the cave.

“Ever seen gaatlok powder?” Isabela asked.  “Nasty stuff.  It can take six good men in a single blast.  The most you can find of your men sometimes is the teeth.”

“This is getting awfully morbid awfully quickly,” said Bethany.  “Really, Isabela!”

“What?  It’s true,” she said, shrugging.

“Eurgh, I wouldn’t fancy cleaning that mess,” said Hawke.  “Thank goodness I’ve got you lot to keep me from blowing myself up.”

“Mostly,” said Varric.  He gave her a wink and a wide, sly grin.

“Why, you cheeky little –”


End file.
